Courtesy Photo | Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Hall plays pickle ball with his youngest son at Shaw Gym,...... read more read more
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A neurological disorder isn’t stopping this Soldier
By MaryTherese Griffin, Warrior Care and Transition
ARLINGTON, Va. - Sgt. 1st Class Aaron Hall, a maintenance supervisor with nearly twenty years of service to his beloved Army, received unexpected bad news last November when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “I was doing [physical training] with other Soldiers and felt like my legs just weren’t the same, like they were giving out,” Hall said. “I kept it to myself for a while, but then decided to get it checked out. The neurologist did a magnetic resonance imaging scan and they found lesions.”
According to the renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, it is not known what causes multiple sclerosis and there is no cure. MS attacks the central nervous system and disrupts communication between the brain and the spinal cord. It can affect speech, mobility, vision and cause fatigue, as well as depression. His physical therapist, Lindsey Davison at the Warrior Transition Unit, Fort Campbell, Kentucky saw the effects first hand.
“He has a neurological progressive lifelong disorder. When he was hit with this news he had many emotions and feelings of doubt. He was worried about how he was going to be able to be physical and what his active life with his children would look like,” said Davison.
The doubt with the married father of six was met with positive reinforcements from the Fort Campbell WTU.
“[Being at the WTU] has been great because it is allowing me the time to heal and to slow everything down and go to doctor appointments. I have been able to really communicate with my family. Before, I was blowing everything off and dealing with work made it difficult to communicate with my spouse. The WTU has really helped my family be together more often,” Hall said.
Davison says that having the family together when possible is done on purpose. Having the family be part of the process is very important to the Soldier’s recovery. “Our Soldiers spend so much time away from their families while active duty that we at the WTU try to include the family as much as possible as it is an aspect of their healing,” said Davison.
The help Hall is receiving at the WTU has shown him the many possibilities of living with MS. He is now working toward returning to duty and completing his twenty years of service.
“Hall is very resilient. He is working hard in the adaptive reconditioning program daily to include lifting in the gym, pickle ball, spin class and more! He doesn't back down from a challenge and we enjoy his positivity and encouraging attitude so much,” Davison said of Hall’s recovery.
If there is a silver lining to having MS, Hall has found it. The WTU has given Hall the time to handle his condition, but also play pickle ball games with his three year old son and spend more time with his family while recovering and preparing to, hopefully one day soon, return to duty.
| Date Taken: | 10.01.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2018 10:29 |
| Story ID: | 295018 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 1,524 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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